Soup Time

I LOVE using my crockpot and I LOVE soup. We eat soup a lot in the fall and winter months. So you can only imagine my excitement when I ran across Boo Mama's Souptacular Crockpotalooza tonight. I will share a recipe from our dinner tonight. If I can remember I will try and post other soup recipes soon.

This one is super easy!

Smoky Tex Mex Stew

1 1/2 lb lean beef chunks for stew

1 cup each: salsa and BBQ sauce

1 packet (1.25 oz) red-sodium taco seasoning mix (or like me today, think you have a packet and don't so just wing it with chili powder and a couple of things from your spice rack)

2 cups frozen corn kernels

1 can each: chickpeas and black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (the taste is fine without this if you are making do with what you have @ home)

Mix all ingredients except beans and cilantro in crockpot. Cover and cook on High for 4-5 hours or LOW for 8-10 hours until beef is very tender.

Stir in beans and cilantro.Cover and let stand for 5 minutes for beans to heat through.

Just for those playing @ home: 8 weight watcher points, this recipe makes 6 servings, very filling

His buddies

Jacob has quite a collection of animals that go to bed with him along with Buzz Lightyear and a couple of car pillows. I went to get him up from his nap the other day and I found him asleep with a tower of his buddies!

Trunk or Treat

We had a great time at trunk or treat! Jacob enjoyed doing his first cake walk. He even won some cupcakes for Dadoh too!

When trying to think of an unique trunk or treat theme, Mardi Gras was the answer! You can be sure we were the only ones with that idea! I missed you NOLA folks when I was decorating with my beads! I wore my "be a New Orleanian wherever you are" shirt.

Logan and his girls

Bella & Hayden

Our cute little pumpkin

Cooper & Jacob, scary huh?

2nd child

This is the second child who sometimes has to wait for child #1 to be taken care of. A lot of times it is the loudest one who gets the attention. Tonight he had to wait for me to get Jacob settled before he had his turn. Earlier in the week, Logan woke up early and wanted so bad to go back to sleep but it was just minutes before we had to leave to take Jacob to school. So here he is: in the carseat, tucked in, placed by the door, lights dimmed, dishwasher humming, go ahead start your nap. All these thoughts started when I was (finally) updating the boys' baby books and Jacob's journal tonight. I looked back at the calendar from last fall to make sure I didn't leave anything out. October 23rd last year was the first day we heard little Logan's heartbeat at Dr Von Almen's office. Ahhhh, he may not have a journal even started but we are so thankful for this boy!

Pumpkin Patch

Yesterday we headed to Jaemor farms. The weather was great! Since it was a weekday all of the activities weren't open but Jacob was just as happy since he got to go on the tractor hayride.

We blended right in with the school field trip that was on the hayride! The tractor pulled us through the apple orchard and we got to see some of the farm.

Getting a picture of both looking and having a decent look on their face is getting harder and harder! I can only imagine how much fun getting a Christmas card picture will be, maybe I should start now!

"Look at me! I am wearing a big boy shirt and big boy pants!"

"I am always smiling and then Momma gets out the camera and I wonder where she has gone. What is that big black thing?"

"Hey brother, when will she ever stop? She has taken a ton of pictures already!"

Enter Jacob: "Just smile, she eventually stops."

Logan: "ohhhhhhh!"

Fireproof

When we started making plans for our Saturday night I realized it had been at least 3 years since I had done this. I am not proud of this. It just happened. I had not been to see a movie in the theater in at least 3 years! I sound like my mom!

Some people from church were going to see Fireproof....what a great "excuse." I had wanted to see it but figured what always happens would happen. We would say we wanted to go see it, time would get away and we would wait to watch it on DVD or On Demand.

We went! Did you know you can order your tickets ahead of time and pick them up? Oh yeah, everybody else has been GOING to the movies:)

It was great! Not just because it was my first time in a LONG time but it really was a great movie.

Check it out @ fireproofthemovie.com

Grandparents Day

Last Friday Jacob's preschool had grandparents' day. We are so thankful that Jacob had all 4 Grandparents there! Da doh was behind the camera but was there. Above is a picture with Papa, Mema, Nana Jean and Mrs Archer (director of the preschool) Pardon the 3 yr old boy face we see from time to time. 

Jacob had a chance to introduce his special friend, Charlotte to his grandparents.

Partners in crime in the food line

Jacob must have received a lot of comments about having all 4 grandparents there because he mentioned that he had ALL 4 grandparents there several times when he got home. What a fun day!

Fun Saturday

Saturday we had a great day with Helen and Benjamin at the Atl block party @ Mercer univ. I will say these pictures aren't the best, lots of back of the head pictures but 3 boys will stay busy! The boys loved the inflatables!

Future basketball stars

Can you imagine what this sheep was thinking when he saw these two coming towards him with brushes? They must drug these poor animals!

My favorite was the momma and her babies....maybe I feel like we have something in common?

We had a great day with our good buddies. Can you believe next spring we will have 4 boys when we go somewhere? (Maybe I should clarify.....Helen is expecting another boy, NOT me!)

I think I can, I think I can

Hmmm, maybe today is the day.....

This is hard work....

This arm keeps holding me back....

whoa! That was worth all of my hard work!

Now, onto my next project....

4 months old

4 months old today! That is hard to believe. In many ways it seems like Logan has always been part of our crew & in other ways it seems like they were just putting him in my arms for the first time. I sure am having a hard time packing up those baby clothes. But Logan is a growing boy and I am hurrying and putting him in the last of the summer things so he can at least wear some of his stuff once before he grows right out of it!

Jacob loves having a few matching outfits especially these "bones" shirts. I didn't notice when I snapped the picture that Jacob is pulling Logan's ear!

We are having fun with Logan hitting some new milestones. I have some rolling pictures that I will post soon!

Big Boy Bath

Logan has graduated to the baby tub without the little infant hammock. He actually gets to sit in the tub itself. He didn't want to put his feet down into the water.

He looked at me like "are you going to let HIM bathe me?"

But you can tell by this look how much he loves his big brother

Still working on getting those feet down though:)

It's Fall Ya'll!

We have been enjoying this weather! Even being more "summer" like the last couple of days has been OK. We can do 80 degrees! 

We met Mema at the park last week and had a great day. We have missed watching the leaves change while living in New Orleans and have loved showing Jacob that leaves turn colors before they fall on the ground!

I will surely be out numbered!

We are VERY into football right now. Daddy has been the last couple of evenings (yay!) and the weather has been great. Jacob has had "football practice" every evening. He gets suited up pads and all. He must be wearing a football jersey. I get to be the water girl and Jacob has a blast!

Logan is starting young and taking in some college football.

Jacob's highlight for the weekend was going to his first GA tech game. This was right before they headed to the game. The trip was made complete by a stop at the varsity (he loved his first frosted orange) and they rode the train to the game.

Yeah, I am going to be out numbered. Maybe we will eventually get a girl dog:)

More pics....

More pictures from Logan's baby dedication and lunch afterwards. House full of people and he is worn out from all the fun!

We had quite a crowd at church of family and friends. So many that it was hard to get a good picture! You can hardly see the guest of honor!

Logan with 3 of his 5 great grandparents

Chilling with Aunt Steph

Cuddling with Deborah

Nana Jean & Dadoh

Papa & Mema

Logan's first girlfriend, Hayden. Hayden was flirting with Logan the whole time. She's an "older woman"

We had a great day and were very thankful to have so many family and friends there with us. We are thankful to be part of such a loving church congregation that treats our kids like their own. Not a day goes by that I am not reminded that these children are miracles and what an honor it is to be their momma. I thank God that He has blessed me with such precious gifts!